DAVID FINLEY – EPISODE ONE

TWO YEARS AFTER TONYE’S MURDER

SCENE 1

(COKERS MANSION,
LEKKI)

(FUNMI GOES TO OPEN THE DOOR AND BRIEFLY CHECKS HER FACE IN
THE MIRROR CLOSE TO THE ENTRANCE. THE DOORBELL GOES OFF AGAIN AND SHE OPENS)

Funmi: good
afternoon (flash her white teeth)

Caroline:
(straight face) I am Caroline martins. Tonye’s sister. Is David in?

Funmi: (shocked)
hi. i… he is not in

Caroline: lady
Mosette?

Funmi:
unavailable

Caroline: tell
them I dropped by. I have so many questions for them

Funmi: um…sorry

Caroline: (turns)
yes

Funmi: about Tonye’s
death…I’m sorry for your loss. Who would believe that it’s been two years?

Caroline:
(smiles) two years and no judgement. Her murderer still walks the streets of Lagos,
a free man.

Funmi: (confused)
I don’t get. Tonye killed herself. She was clinically unstable.

Caroline: (fumes)
i…I…my tonye was never unstable. Your mother and step brother made the world
believe that crap. I am back and someone is going to end up behind bars (she
walks away)

SCENE 2

(GERDA BAR, LEKKI)

(LESLIE SIPS BEER FROM A TUMBLER AS SHE WATCH DAAVID
FROLICKING WITH SOME GIRLS ON THE DANCEFLOOR. HE SIGNALS HER TO JOIN, BUT SHE
LOOKS AWAY. HE APPROACHES HER)

David: (slightly
tipsy) is somebody jealous?

Leslie: (laughs)
no! Hell no! Why would I be jealous?

David: you had
better confess… jealous Leslie!

Leslie:
seriously? David I am not jealous. Not even the late tonye made me jealous…

David: (frowns)
you had to mention her name here? For what? Leslie for what na?

Leslie: no… I
was…

David: (slaps
her) I don’t like that at all

Leslie: (holds
her cheek and smiles) calm down…. You are losing it. Tonye is dead and gone.
Your secret is safe with me. (She attempts to leave) I have to leave baby.

David: Tuvi
right?

Leslie: of course
Tuvi. He currently knows how to treat a lady better. (Holds his hand and
caresses it. She places her lips on his receptive lips and pulls away after a
few seconds) I had fun. Good night (she exits)

SCENE 3

(COKERS MANSION)

(DRUNK DAVID OPENS THE DOOR AND ENTERS THE HOUSE. THE LIGHTS
COME ON. LADY MOSETTE SITS AT A CORNER ON THE SOFA)

Lady Mosette:
(shakes head) David…

David: (rubs eyes
and staggers) mum, is that you?

Lady Mosette:
drunk on a Monday! Classic and pathetic Mr Finley

David: Mother…come
on, put a smile on your pretty face

Lady Mosette: I
am happy that you can sense my sarcasm and see my pretty. I’m sure you can
absolve this one too. Caroline martins

David: (staggers
and waves his hand) who is she? Queen of England? (Laughs)

Lady Mosette:
Tonye’s sister

David: (shouts) I
don’t wanna hear that f***ing name again!

Lady Mosette:
(stands) you don’t know what is going to happen but I have a feeling you will
frequently hear that name in these coming weeks. Caroline is snooping around
and I don’t like it at all. She was at the police headquarters today to see
detective Sankura. She was also here today. She met Funmi.

David: (sits on
the floor and place his hands on his curly hair) mother (sobs) I am done for…

Lady Mosette:
(sighs) I wanted to see remorse (moves towards David, kneels and hugs him)
mummy will ki*ll this mosquito… she will just bark and fade away. I will clean
this.

SCENE 4

(CAROLINE’S CONDO, IKOYI)  
NEXT DAY   10:13AM

(CAROLINE FACED THE SKY BLUE WALL
OF HER LIVING ROOM AS BODE CIRCLED HS FINGERS AROUND THE SIDE STOOL. HE IS AT
THE EDGE OF THE WHIE SOFA)

Bode: are you out of your mind? Caroline you need to stop this
madness.

Caroline: I can’t believe my ears. How can you call the search for
justice madness? Justice for our sister! You shock me every time. I’m leaving
no stone unturned

Bode: this is bigger than us. I don’t want you dead. You are the
only family I’ve got.

Caroline: you are a coward! I knew it. My guts told me that something
was wrong. I should have been here earlier. I’m so sure I could have gotten the
killer behind bars.

Bode: are you calling me incompetent? You think I didn’t do enough?

Caroline: you tell me…

Bode: (bangs his fist on the stool) damn it Caroline! You act like
the all-knowing and it irritates me! You did not go to identify her body at the
morgue. I did! You did not see those multiple stab wounds. I did! I felt like
killing that bas***d! He had everything in his favour; the alibis, the police
and all. Our opportunity to nab him was destroyed

Caroline: the footage from the CCTV camera?

Bode: yes! They claimed she was clinically unstable! What does that
mean? I was mad! You were not there, so don’t give me bullshit! I won’t have
any of that!

Caroline: (smiles and nods) I’m glad that we are on the same page.
David killed Tonye. We just need to prove it.

Bode: how did your visits go?

Caroline: detective Sankura was compromised. I felt it. He is
really shady. I met Funmi Coker and I’m sure mother and son know that trouble
is in town.

Bode: I don’t want to lose you

Caroline: I will be fine

SCENE 5

(THIRD LANE HOSPITAL, OBALENDE)

(IN FRONT OF DR GILBERT’S OFFICE)

(CAROLINE IS NEXT IN LINE TO SEE
DR GILBERT. SHE IS USHERED IN BY HIS SECRETARY)

Dr Gilbert: (looks up from his laptop) good afternoon.

Caroline: (smiles) good afternoon

Dr. Gilbert: how may I help you miss…?

Caroline: Caroline Martins

Dr Gilbert: (smiles) beautiful name and nice accent

Caroline: how can a psychologist with no medical history of a
patient term her clinically unstable? Clinically unstable sounds too vague sir,
with all due respect you shouldn’t sit behind that desk. If you had said Tonye
had bi polar disorder, it would have made more sense. Do you think? How much
did lady Mosette pay to buy your soul? Tonye Martins must get justice

Dr Gilbert: (sweating profusely) get out! (Stands and almost trips)
out!

Caroline: register this face in your head doctor! (Walks out)

(Dr Gilbert picks up his phone
and dials a number)

Dr Gilbert: hello? Lady Mosette….we are in trouble

SCENE 6

(OKONKWOS DUPLEX, V.I)

(A BLACK RANGE ROVER PULLS UP IN
FRONT OF THE GATE. THE DRIVER HORNS CEASELESSLY AND A GATE MAN APPEARS)

Gateman: who be that?

(The driver winds down)

Gateman: na woman set. Why
you dey horn like that?

Caroline: call your madam. Tell her Tonye Martins is here.

Gateman: you no get her number?
Call am na!

Caroline: (throws a wad of naira notes at him) fetch your madam

Gateman: (grabs the money happily and scampers to get her) Wetin be your name?

Caroline: (shouts) Tonye Martins!

(The gateman enters the compound
while Caroline reverses and drives off)

(A few minutes later, the gateman
appears with Leslie tagging behind)

Leslie: Adamu! Is this supposed to be a joke?

Adamu: madam! I swear to God… she just park here na na… Tonye
Martins na her name

Leslie: (dials a number on her IPhone 6) David. Hello? Can you hear
me?

David: (lazily) speak…I don’t have time

Leslie: I don’t like the silly prank you just played, but I will
let it go. You sent someone here to pose as Tonye Martins.

David: what are you saying? Explain to me

SCENE 7

COKERS MANSION

(LADY MOSETTE PACES BACK AND
FORTH IN THE LIVING ROOM. DAVID SITS ON A SOFA, HEAD IN HIS PALMS)

David: what do we do? She is really rising up dusts in her path

Lady Mosette: let me think

David: it is clear she wants trouble

Lady Mosette: (chuckles) I will give this one double trouble. She doesn’t
know what she is up against

David: or should I take care of it?

Lady Mosette: (screams) no! (calmly) I mean… no

David: (stands agitated) but you are not doing anything. Dr Gilbert
and Leslie are on the edge. I will take care of this.

Lady Mosette: Don’t you dare do anything stupid! (Shouts) David!

(Funke enters)

Funke: what is going on? What is with the noise? What is it that
has got two worked up?

Lady Mosette: its fine dear

Funke: is it Tonye’s sister?

Lady Mosette: (smiles) go to bed dear

(The doorbell goes off)

Funke: I guess he is back

Lady Mosette: where are the servants?

Funke: (rolls eyes) servants? Or helps? Mum! I will get the door
(goes to open the door. She opens up for a smiling lady with a baby in a
basket)

Funke: ….uuum

Akudo: good evening. I know you can’t remember me. I’m Akudo. I’m here
to see David.

Funke: I think I know you

(Lady Mosette approaches the
door)

Akudo: oh! Lady Mosette….this is good. I am here with your first
grandchild (holds up the baby basket) meet Princesa Finley (smiles)